It's an accepted fact that Apple changed the face of the smartphone industry with the introduction of the iPhone back in 2007, and even though it has only been seven years, it feels as though we've always been tapping home screen icons and gesturing our way through interfaces. Not only did the iPhone completely turn the market on its head, but Google's in-development Android interface - which didn't, at the time of the Apple smartphone's announcement, support touch input - also had to be completely re-thought.
Early on last month, Apple announced CarPlay, the final, official branding of the 'iOS in the Car' feature first announced last year. With the necessary software having been rolled out to iPhones via the iOS 7.1 update, we're now awaiting the release of the first fleet of CarPlay-ready production automobiles, but while the likes of Mercedes and Volvo plan on integrating the feature as a part of the manufacturing process, specialist audio company Alpine is reportedly plotting its very own aftermarket console effort.
Trials and lawsuits are always dirty affairs, since they bring out dirt that no one would want the world to find out. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), in the high-paced world of today, any information becomes public in a manner of seconds, and now, the Apple vs. Samsung patent trial has taken a rather dirty turn for the Korean company owing to the release of some confidential sales data that clearly indicates that Samsung fed false sales numbers to the media for its original Galaxy tablet, so that they tablet can be portrayed a true iPad killer, according to a new report.
I always find it amusing that, even though evidence pertaining to a forthcoming smartphone may change from report to report, the case makers always feel as though they've got the scoop. It hasn't even been established whether or not Apple has pinned down a final design for the so-called "iPhone 6," yet a snap of a case has just leaked into the wild, although naturally, we're more than skeptical as to whether it actually tells us anything.
The tech community seemingly cannot get enough of the so-called 'iPhone 6' just now, even on the eve of the Samsung Galaxy S5's long-awaited release. The Apple handset is not touted for release until the fall, but the notion of the device packing a notably larger display seems to grow stronger with each new report. Following on from a recent influx of schematics leaks and other info relating to the iPhone 6's form factor, a new mock-up of an iPhone case seems to indicate that the display will indeed increase in diameter, while also backing up a few other iPhone 6-related murmurings, including thinner design.
Reports pertaining to the iPhone 6 seem to change course on an almost daily basis, but there underlying theme is that Apple's next smartphone will be significantly larger than anything the Cupertino firm has released hitherto. Following on from a report by ISI analyst Brian Marshall that a bigger iPhone would prompt a spike in upgrades as well as the number of consumers switching from Android, a new report published on Thursday has somewhat echoed these sentiments.
Siri may have become something of a modern cult figure since its introduction alongside the iPhone 4s back in 2011, but with the big announcement of Windows Phone 8.1 last week, Microsoft also took the wraps off Cortana, its very own Siri alternative. Given the very nature of the mobile market, we know that competition will be fierce, and as per a very funny, mocked-up parade of the respective voice assistants on an American chat show, the blue touchpaper has already been well and truly lit.
Even though Apple doesn't tend to announce new iPhones until the fall of each year, we've already heard a lot of information with regards to the so-called iPhone 6. Notably, the consensus seems to be that the Cupertino will deliver two variants of the forthcoming handset - one packing a 4.7-inch display, and a further model boasting a panel in excess of 5.5 inches. We've also heard, however, that the larger of these two releases will be delayed until next year, and a new report out of Taiwan also appears to suggest that only one will be available in time for the purported September release bracket.
It's rather difficult to get too excited about a product that is spoken about but never seen, and while we've heard report after report pertaining to the so-called Apple iWatch, there's been little evidence to corroborate the claims. Nevertheless, new bits of information are suggesting that the device will arrive around August-September time, with an abundance of sensors and fitness-centric features to help Apple tap into the $3 trillion healthcare market. Full details of the latest revelations can be found after the break!
Back in the era of Steve Jobs, the Apple iPad was always touted as a post-PC device, but aside from partially replacing the traditional desktop / notebook as we know it, the Cupertino's slate is also changing the way we take notes and organize our lives. In no situation is this fact more apparent than in the day-to-day life of Bollywood choreographer Feroz Khan, who now utilizes a single iPad Air for most of his work when, not so long ago, he would have to drag several items around with him in order to do his job properly.
